Boris Kotchoubey was born 1952 in Moscow (USSR). He was educated as a general physician (1975), psychologist (1981) and obtained a PhD in Psychology in 1983.

He has worked for the Russian Academy for Educational Sciences (1981-86), Institute of Psychology, USSR Academy of Sciences (1986-91), University of Ulm (1992-94), Medical University of Lübeck (1994-95), University of Tübingen (since 1995).

His main interests are natural (biological) foundations and origins of specifically human features such as consciousness, language and freedom.